Hanging Out Around the Virtual Campfire

onDecember 4, 2012

By Elena Dufner

A group of five or six girls sitting around, talking, laughing to the point of tears.

The scene could be anyone, anywhere, and it has repeated itself countless times over the years: on a bunk bed at Greene Family Camp, around the campfire under the stars, in dorm rooms, and now, a few years after college, in front of our computers in a Google “Hangout,” Google’s multi-person video chat.

These are my camp friends. We are in our mid-20s, scattered across the country, pursuing ambitious careers across every sector, and tackling young adulthood on our separate paths. We still have some common bonds – our many years of URJ youth programs, and the convenience of technology that connects us across thousands of miles, busy schedules, and increasingly divergent lives.